


Harvest

by DianaandAlicia



Series: Post Good Out Here [10]
Category: Fear the Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Mild Hurt/Comfort, Separation Anxiety, Tractors, farming
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-22
Updated: 2018-08-22
Packaged: 2019-07-01 02:31:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15764790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DianaandAlicia/pseuds/DianaandAlicia
Summary: It's now fall so that means that the crops are ready to be harvested.





	Harvest

**Author's Note:**

> Hi Y'all. Um, I hope you guys like this story. I haven't written or posted a post good out here in a while so I don't know if this is good. I've been depressed lately and I'm kinda thinking that all of my work is garbage so I really don't know if what I wrote was cohesive or if it even goes along with the stories I've been writing. Please let me know if this is horrible, because I honestly don't know anymore.

Althea stood in the grass by the house, about five yards away from the garden. She had her video camera in hand and she was pointing it at the cornfield, smiling. It was early fall, which meant it was time to harvest the crops that they raised. Three quarters of each crop were going to be used for trade, so they could get animals. The other quarter would be put up for the winter. 

Victor was in the potato field and Morgan was in the soybean field finishing up. John had finished with the corn a few hours prior and now he was making good on a promise he made to Alicia.

One of the tractors that they had on the farm was a two-seat tractor, with one seat behind the other. Alicia begged John for weeks to ride on the tractor and now that all the fields were getting harvested, there was space for him to drive the tractor around without running over any crops.

Alicia was sitting on the seat behind him and she was having a grand old time. She knew that she had to enjoy this free time while she could, because once John put the tractor back in the barn, she had to help Althea and Luciana with getting the food put up for winter. 

The potatoes would be stored at the appropriate temperature in the cellar and the soybeans and corn would be roasted and ground into cornmeal and flour. Plus, the food in the garden needed to be preserved and put in the cellar too. 

The little family already had a lot of food in the cellar. Three barrels of salted and smoked fish that will last for nine months sat waiting. They also have shelves and shelves of canned soups and vegetables, canned goods that the previous family had stored. John also went hunting twice a week, and had snares set up around the woods, bringing home pheasant, turkey, duck, deer and rabbit. 

“Wave at Al!” John said happily, pointing to Althea. Alicia followed his gaze and saw Al before giving the woman a toothy grin and a wave. They rode around on the tractor for a little while more and once John drove it into the barn to put away, Althea put her camera back in the house.

A few minutes later, Althea came back out by the garden and was happy to see Alicia helping Luciana.

“Did you have fun on the tractor?” She asked, squatting down and helping the girls pick the food in the garden.

“Yeah.” Alicia said, smiling. 

“Good.” Althea responded, putting some beans in the basket next to her.

The garden was actually three garden beds in a space that they called the garden. There were three separate areas, but they were all super close together so the family just called the area “the garden”.  The biggest space and second biggest space had been picked clean the day prior and the three were working on the smallest bed. Victor and Morgan had finished up in the fields that they had been working on and they were busy helping John put baskets upon baskets and buckets full of corn, potatoes and soybeans in the swat van, pick-up truck and animal trailers. The next morning Althea, Luciana, Victor and John would be leaving on the week and a half long trip to get the animals.

They were going to the big trading post, a few days away. It usually took three days to get to the post, and three days to get back, plus a few days to work out trading prices and picking the animals that they wanted. They were also bringing furs, four stacks of blankets that Luciana knitted, ten quilts that she made, and a box full of knitted hats, scarves and mittens.

Alicia had to stay home, because even though she can handle going to Miss Stella’s trading post two hours away, she still wasn’t mentally stable to handle going this far. Morgan was going to stay with her this time around, to give Althea a little break. Anytime trips to the trading posts were made, either Alicia went with, or Althea stayed home with her. 

Althea loved Alicia to pieces, like she was her blood related daughter, but she did deserve a small break, and she should see what this trading post is like too.

Alicia knew that the trip was the next day, but she was trying her hardest not to think about it. Truth be told, she didn’t want Al to go. She loved Morgan, and she knew he’d do a good job with taking care of her, but she didn’t want Al to go away. She knew Althea would probably come back, but in this world, safe trips to and from places were practically nonexistent. 

They would be leaving early in the morning, before the sun even came up, and Althea was hoping that they could leave before Alicia even woke up, so they could miss out on a crying fit that she’d most likely have. If Alicia is awake when they are about to leave, she’ll try her hardest to keep Althea home. 

After the girls picked all the food in the garden, they brought their baskets and buckets inside. 

By the time all the tasks were finished, it was early evening, about an hour and a half from supper time. Morgan, Victor and Luciana were working together in the kitchen to make rabbit stew from four of the rabbits that fell victim to John’s snare. John was actually in the woods checking his snares now.

Althea was organizing everything that they’d need for the trip in the living room and Alicia was sitting on the floor by the fireplace, wanting to be by Al.

“Althea?” She squeaked as she watched the older woman pack things into a first aid kit.

“Yes Honey?”

“I don’t want you to go.” Alicia mumbled, tears starting to well up in her eyes.

_I guess we’re getting a crying fit now instead of later._ Althea thought to herself before putting a roll of bandages down. She walked over to Alicia and knelt down by the girl, wanting to dispel this before it even had a chance to start.

“Sweetie, I know you don’t want me to go, but think about how much fun you’re going to have with Morgan while we’re gone! You guys are going to work together to preserve the food from the fields and garden, you’ll take walks, check the snares, play board games, and do so many other activities. You’ll be so busy it’ll feel like we’ve been gone for only a few hours. It’s going to be ok.”

“No, it’s not. I don’t want you to go!” Alicia cried, tears starting to dribble down her face.

“Alicia, you don’t need to cry. It’ll be ok.” Althea reassured, rubbing Alicia’s back.

“What’s going on in here?” Victor asked, leaning against the doorway.

“She’s upset about tomorrow.” Althea explained, getting up and going back by the first aid kit.

“Alicia come here.” Victor said firmly. He pointed to the floor right next to him and he looked serious.

Once Alicia was over by him, he put his hand on her shoulder.

“Sweetheart, do you trust me?”

“Of course. I’ll always trust you.”

“Then you know that when I say that I promise to get everyone home as safely as possible, I’ll keep good on my word, right?”

Alicia nodded, looking at Victor with watery eyes.

“You promise?”

“I promise I’ll do everything I possibly can to bring Althea, Luciana, John and myself home as safely as possible.” Victor said, holding his hand up like he was taking an oath.

“Ok.” Alicia squeaked. She was still unhappy that Althea was going, but Victor promised to keep her and everyone safe, and no matter how much begging she did or how many tantrums she threw, it wouldn’t change that.

“Good.” Victor said, happy that they’ve reached an understanding. “Come ‘ere Baby Girl.” He coaxed, holding his arms out. Alicia hugged him and he lifted her off her feet, so they floated almost a foot off the ground.

He set her down and went back into the kitchen to help Morgan and Luciana. After supper, everyone went to bed early since they had to wake up before dawn. Althea tucked Alicia in and made sure to give her plenty of hugs and pepper her face with kisses before leaving her to sleep.

Alicia was having a hard time with sleeping though, because she was dreading the next day. Victor’s reassurances were helpful when he made them but they did little now that she was lying in bed alone with her thoughts. She was anxious, especially when her mind drifted to the thought of what if Althea tucking her in was the last time she’d ever see her? What if saying goodnight to Victor, Lucy and John was the last time she’d ever see them? What if she and Morgan waited and waited for them to return home but they never do?

Those anxiety fueled thoughts circled around in her brain for most of the night, until Alicia finally fell asleep at three am out of pure exhaustion. The last thing she remembered before falling asleep was everyone’s faces, hoping she’ll be able to see them again.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I hope it didn't suck too much. See you soon.


End file.
